Pimps and dependents once her beauties praised,
And on those beauties, vermin-like, they fed;
From wretchedness the crew her bounty raised,
When by her spoils enrich'd--deny her bread.
Through street to street she wends, as want betides,
Like Shore's sad wife, in winter's dismal hours;
The bleak winds piercing her unnourish'd sides,
Her houseless head dripping with drizzy showers.
Sickly she strolls amidst the miry lane,
While streaming spouts dash on her unclothed neck;
By famine pinch'd, pinch'd by disease-bred pain,
Contrition's portrait, and rash beauty's wreck.
~345~~We had now passed from the first receptacle to an inner and
more elegant apartment, where we could be accommodated with suitable
refreshments, wine, spirits, or, in fact, any thing we pleased to
order and were disposed to pay for; a practice at most of these early
coffee-houses, as they are denominated. The company in this room were,
as far as appearances went, of rather a better order; but an event
soon occurred which convinced us that their morality was perhaps more
exceptionable than the motley group which filled the outer chamber. A
bevy of damsels were singing, flirting, and drinking, to amuse their
companions,--when all at once the doors were forced open, and in rushed
three of the principal officers of Bow-street, the indefatigable Bishop,
the determined Smith, and the resolute Ruthven (see plate), all armed
and prepared for some dreadful encounter: in an instant their followers
had possessed themselves of the doors--flight, therefore, was in vain;
and Bob Transit, in attempting it, narrowly escaped an awkward crack on
the crania from old Jack Townshend, who being past active service, was
posted at the entrance with the beak himself, to do garrison duty.
Pages:
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455